The Traveling Queen
by niigoki
Summary: Queen Weiss Schnee is hated by the crowd, while a certain mysterious traveler is seen as the people's heroine. The Queen manages to get lost on her own kingdom and gets stuck with the one she hates the most as her only traveling companion. Will the ice-cold heart be able to melt with new encounters? Medieval AU. Several pairings later on.
1. Genius Idea

_Tec. _

_Tec. _

_Tec. _

The loud clicking noises that could be heard throughout the entire ballroom were no strangers to the employees who spent most of their lives cleaning the marble columns, the glass tables, and the crystal chandeliers of the Schnee Castle. To be quite honest, if you'd spent at least 5 minutes inside the place, you'd be sure to hear Queen Schnee's extremely expensive heels clicking in your direction, sometimes nervously, sometimes not. The guards and maids would adjust their posture regarding your presence depending on how fast the noise happened – If quick, they would know you were in trouble, if slow, they would know you were to be possibly thrown in the dungeon after your meeting with the Queen.

At this exact moment, however, the heels were not exactly fast-paced, but far from being calming. Regular steps meant that Queen Weiss was pondering.

"I just cannot understand," Muttering by herself was one of Weiss's greatest talents, even though she always denied such crass habit. "I've always given everything the people could possibly want; an army to protect them, books about the Royal Family for entertainment, and I even supply the villagers who cannot feed themselves with my own soybean banquet! What else could they possibly want from me? Why are they so unhappy with my generosity?"

Her trusty advisor followed the Queen and pretended to listen while scribbling in three different notes at the same time with two different pens. Ozpin was not one to ignore Weiss's complaints (quite contrary, he always helped whenever he could), but with the Royal Festival coming up in less than a day he had to be sure everything was ready, so his notes were a rushed mess.

"Ozpin? Did you hear me?" Weiss stopped prancing around and turned to the man, hands on her hips.

"I b-beg your pardon Your Majesty." Ozpin jumped a little, causing one of the notes to fall. "I was distracted, what was that about your incredible generosity?"

"Do pay attention, for goodness sake, you're an advisor for a reason. I need your advice, Ozpin, why are the people still furious at me when all I've ever done to this country was help however I could?"

_I wouldn't exactly call executing three men because they forgot to bow in your presence being generous, Queen Schnee. _Was what Ozpin truly wanted to tell her, but for the sake of his own life, he kept these thoughts to himself.

"Maybe some of your rules are a bit too strict and unsatisfying, Your Majesty. The people have sent us their demands for years, but every time we are about to discuss them, something comes up. Quite convenient, don't you think?"

"Oh please, we've already been through this." Weiss turned back around and resumed her walk. "The people's demands are important, of course, but have you ever imagined what would happen if we complied with one of them? Soon we'd have to comply with another. And then another! Taking all these requests would be foolish, not to mention unfair for the ones who didn't get to have their turn. Fairness is one of the golden words of this Royal Family and I'm not about to be the one who puts an end to our reign of justice."

"As you say, Your Majesty." Ozpin wish he could hold back an eye roll, but it was impossible. He'd been friends with the Schnee family for years now, and even watched Weiss Schnee grow up as a kid. This made him quite an exception around the castle, and his word was one of the few taken into consideration for the Queen.

Both arrived at the Queen's throne room and Weiss sighed, sitting down in quite an exasperate manner. Ozpin sat by her side, at his own chair and table.

"Sometimes I wish Father were here," Said Weiss. "He would know what to do."

"Your father was a wise man, Miss Schnee," Ozpin put down his notes and grabbed his personalized coffee mug. "Unfortunately, he died too soon, and your training as a ruler became compromised. Maybe this is one of the reasons why the people resent your decisions so much."

"Either that or they simply resent a nineteen year-old girl telling them what to do." Weiss grabbed the crown that usually stayed put in one of the throne's armrests and studied it. The perfection of the diamonds covering the entire crown always fascinated the Queen, and the red velvet inside made it very comfortable to wear. But after her father's death, the kingdom had been falling apart more and more, and Weiss didn't feel worthy of wearing it anymore.

She knew her decisions were selfish and foolish, and Ozpin was right; she lacked the proper training on how to be a good Queen. But pride spoke louder and Weiss refused to let the people control her destiny as a good descendant of the Schnee family. She would keep being Queen and making decisions for the kingdom, even if she was to be unloved by the crowd.

"I hardly think your age is the problem," Ozpin took a sip of his coffee and breathed happily. Whenever he had his mug on hand, his speech became more casual with the Queen. At this point he felt like the mentor Weiss's father wished for him to be, instead of simply an advisor afraid to say something rude. "King Wasser was only fifteen when he took up the throne."

"My grandfather was an exception, everyone knows that."

"Perhaps. But even so, the kingdom prospered. His kind heart and understanding of the masses made him one of the most beloved kings of the Schnee generation."

"Hmm." Weiss kept staring at her crown, avoiding eye contact with her advisor. "Understanding of the masses, huh."

"I am quite sure you remember the deeds he's done on his time and age. For example, the reduction of the taxes was of great importance for the…"

Ozpin's voice became a blur in the distance as Weiss looked at the diamonds and crystals. An idea was taking shape inside her head and the more she stared at her reflex on the precious stones, the more she realized something: She needed to understand her people if she wanted to make decisions to affect their everyday lives.

Weiss never once left the castle's walls. The one time she did was to practice shooting arrows in her father's private ranch, and she failed miserably at it. It was at that time she decided that fencing was going to be her focus, and she became extremely good at it. Unfortunately, you can't exactly go fencing outside; it makes no sense to have a fencing room in the castle if not to use it. And so she had absolutely no knowledge of what her people went through on the world outside. Did they have servants? A banquet? Crystal chandeliers to decorate their homes? She hardly thought so.

"Ozpin, quiet. I think I have an idea." Weiss put the crown back at its place.

"…Your Majesty?"

"Tomorrow is the Royal Festival, is it not?"

"Indeed."

"The holiday where people go on the streets and pay their respects for their Queen, correct?"

Ozpin slowly brought his coffee mug to his mouth. "That is correct, Your Majesty."

"Then what better time of year to interact with my subjects than at this festival? That's the day when they rejoice and forget the complaints they've been doing about my ruling and just have fun all day long! I will personally go to one lucky village and tell them I am willing to listen up close to whatever requests they have for me. I will interact with the men, women and children of the village and see with my own eyes the condition they live in. I will do this every year in a different village, and eventually, all of them will have their problems solved, one by one. Genius!"

Ozpin got up from his chair quicker than he intended. "Hold on, Miss Schnee, I hardly think this is a good idea."

"It is an excellent idea and I demand you recognize it as one."

"You really need to think this through, Your Majesty." His tone was so serious he even put the coffee mug down. "Are you going to visit every single house in the village? Some of them are huge! What am I saying, that's not even the biggest issue here, if the people are so unhappy with the way you've been ruling the kingdom what makes you think you won't be attacked? Humiliated?"

"You are overreacting." Weiss jumped out of the throne and started to make her way back to her room. "Tell the guards to get a carriage ready to leave tomorrow early and accompany me to Hastia Village, first thing in the morning!"

"Your Majesty!" Ozpin yelled, but Weiss was already out of sight. He dropped his body on the chair once again, running a hand through his hair. Ozpin knew that whenever Queen Weiss was focused on something, she never let it go. Her excitement was hardly matched by reason, and so Ozpin had 14 hours to think of a way to convince the Queen to reconsider.

Either that, or make it somehow safe for Weiss to wander around a place full of people who would not hesitate to serve the Queen's head on a plate if she ever came into view.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello friends! It's been a while.<strong>

**I had this AU idea exactly today, and here I am at 4:00am trying to finish the first chapter. I hope I can make this story as long as it needs to be. Would you accompany me in this travel? I hope you like the adventures of Weiss and the friends (an enemies) she will make along the way.**

**See you soon!**

**- niigoki**


	2. Reflection

The night grew old and most residents of the castle were already asleep, including the Queen. The only ones awake at three in the morning were the night guards, protecting the integrity of the stone walls and the life of the grand ruler. Well, also a certain advisor who had an almost impossible task at hand to deal with. Ozpin tried to reason with Weiss along the day, giving her several motives as to why going to the villages unannounced and in the day of the Royal Festival was a terrible, terrible idea: The dangerous wilds could be full of bandits waiting for royalty to slip; the people could feel betrayed by the Queen and not make for tranquil hosts; the sun on its highest peak could hurt your beautiful skin – all of those fruitless.

And so the family's old friend gave up and started elaborating another tactic. If the Queen wanted to talk to the people to try to understand them better, he wasn't going to stop her; it was a noble sentiment. Weiss was growing up, and her responsibilities with her subjects grew each day as well. She never truly went out of her way on her own terms to try to directly help people before, and even though the way she wanted to accomplish that right now was a bad one, it was still valid. So, as the royal advisor, Ozpin had to find a way to make that work.

Turning left at the end of the library there was a hidden switch, one only Ozpin and Weiss knew about. Behind that switch there was a chamber and a person, and this person worked particularly for the royal family, even though she was free to come and go from the castle at any time. The only condition was that she only ever used her powers in behalf of the Schnee's bloodline, and so she complied. In return, she had a place to live and all the books in the continent to study from, something she quite enjoyed.

Ozpin didn't want to resort to this, but it was the last idea on his mind, and so he flipped the switch with a sigh. One of the bookshelves started to move, and soon the chamber's door was in sight. He knocked gently.

"Glynda? Pardon the time, are you awake?"

For a couple of seconds nothing happened, but then the door started to shine a beautiful purple color and opened. Inside, Glynda Goodwitch was lying down on her bed, reading as usual.

"Come in." She didn't even bother to look up. As Ozpin did so, she moved her wand once again and the door closed silently with magic. "How can I help you in this beautiful night, Ozpin? Need some books?"

"I need to discuss something with you, if you don't mind." Ozpin sat on a chair near the witch. "I don't really have much time, so I'll try to be quick."

"Ah yes, one moment please." Glynda moved her wand in circles and the books that were thrown everywhere started to move by themselves and form a tidy pile in the corner of the room. In seconds her chamber was clean as if new. Glynda closed the book she was reading and sat up straight on the bed. "Alright, I'm all ears."

"I'll be straightforward. Queen Weiss wishes to visit one of the villages tomorrow at the Royal Festival, alleging she wants to understand her subjects better. I am quite concerned, as you probably realize."

"I would be too in your place," Glynda smirked. "I mean, the Queen's reputation isn't the best one around the kingdom nowadays as you well know."

"Yes I am aware. I tried to reason with her, but to no avail. Once Weiss sets her mind on something there is not a force in the world that can make her change her mind." Ozpin sighed.

"Honestly Ozpin, I don't know how you deal with the Schnees." Glynda was the second closest person to the advisor, and they eventually talked over cups of coffee and tea. If the witch understood the concept of friendship, she'd probably consider Ozpin a friend. It would make sense, since he was the one who rescued her from the terrible shack in the woods she used to call a home.

Witches weren't exactly seen as good company in Atlas. Their magical spells and powers frightened most people who were terrified of the unknown. Hunting witches was considered a sport for many years, until King Wasser, Weiss's grandfather, stood up and put an end to the carnage of innocent women for amusement. Glynda had seen her grandmother being captured and burned at the stake, and on that day she moved to the deepest part of the wilds and built herself a poor home. For years she'd been terrified of villagers and people without powers, but she never stopped hungering for knowledge on how spells worked. One day, Ozpin and a few guards were making their way through the woods to gather herbs for medicine and stumbled upon the small shack. Glynda tried to attack them at first, fearful for her life, but Ozpin's calming voice and reasonable arguments made her less anxious. He saw the potential in her and asked if she wished to work for the Schnee family, in exchange for a better home and books to study magic. Without much choice, Glynda agreed to the terms, and became an official employee to the king and queen.

Glynda got up and cleaned up her uniform. "Well, say no more. You need a spell to alter her decision. I've got exactly what you need—"

"Not exactly, no. I intend to let her go."

"…Excuse me?" His words took her by surprise.

"She wants to help people, Glynda, I can't hold her back for this. If she wants to go to the villages, let her do so." Ozpin got up as well. "But it would be for the best if she wasn't recognized as queen while there."

"You are not asking me to do what I think you are." Glynda put her hands on her hips, and for a second Ozpin realized she wasn't so different from the Queen; same attitude, different maturity. "You ask for an appearance spell?"

"I am going to convince Miss Schnee that if she's infiltrated stealthily in Hastia Village it would do much better than to simply show up unannounced with all that royal posture. If she could interact with them as an equal, her conversation with the villagers would be much more pleasant and safe."

Glynda stood there, measuring Ozpin from head to toe, analyzing his body language to see how serious he was about this entire ordeal. When he didn't blink, she knew he was dead set on this idea of his. Crossing her arms and sitting back down on her bed, the witch had no choice but to agree to the request. "Fine then. You talk to the Queen and I get everything ready for the spell. It will take at least three hours for it to be complete, so you have until morning."

"Thank you, Miss Goodwitch."

"Don't call me that, old man." And with a twirl of her wand, Ozpin was sent flying out of the chamber and back into the library. He fell on his hips and grunted, getting up.

"Witches…" With a soft smile, Ozpin made his way to Weiss's doorstep, where he would wait until dawn to give her the news. And he knew she would need a lot of convincing, so a rehearsal was in order.

* * *

><p>The first lights of day made their way through the stained glass in Weiss's room, making the place shine with a beautiful blue aura. The Queen slowly opened her eyes, and stretched her muscles, yawning as she did so. Weiss was really excited for today, so she'd barely slept at all. She rubbed her eyes while making way to the bathroom, and washed her face. Looking up, Weiss came face-to-face with herself in the mirror, and stared at the reflex for some time.<p>

Was she really ready to face her people? For the first time in years she was the one going there, instead of having people come over to the castle, and even then she wasn't quite present to discuss bureaucratic matters. Most of the boring stuff was left to Ozpin to take care of. She felt like a failure. Weiss knew she was too proud; whoever dissatisfied her was either directly sent to the dungeons or killed on the spot. But she also knew why she did all those terrible things to innocent people – she was afraid. Afraid of losing what her entire family had build up to this point. The Schnee royal name could not be stained by her mistakes, and so she always felt that it was safer to rule by fear than by love. Weiss was never going to be loved by her kingdom, she was aware of that. It was pointless. She couldn't even love herself in that stupid mirror.

But today, maybe, just _maybe_, this could begin to change. She was going out there, speak up, and try to make the people understand that she is not a cold-hearted monster. She is just a girl afraid to ruin an entire generation of success.

A knock on the door made her thoughts go away.

"Your Majesty? It's me, Ozpin. I was hoping I could speak with you."

"Come in."

Ozpin opened the door, and adjusted his glasses. "Good morning, Your Majesty. I have an important issue to discuss before we part for—" He stopped dead on his tracks when he realized she was staring at the mirror. That was something about that huge piece of glass that made the Queen behave strangely whenever she stared at it for too long. For years he thought it might've been enchanted, but Glynda made sure it was just a regular mirror.

"Yes?" Weiss blinked and finally tore her gaze away from the reflection.

"Oh, right." Ozpin coughed. "As I was saying, I believe I found out something that will make both our lives a lot easier today."

"Speak quickly, I need to get ready for departure." Weiss started to comb her white hair as she listened.

"Very well. Tonight I spoke with Glynda, and we reached the conclusion that for you to be completely safe out there amongst the people, you would need a disguise."

"Excuse me?" The Queen put the hair comb down, and stared at her advisor. "What makes you think I need a disguise to talk to my own subjects?"

"Please allow me to finish, Miss Schnee." Ozpin couldn't falter now. "I understand your motives are noble, but the people harbor a huge amount of dislike for the Queen at the moment. For you to personally go there would be almost an invitation to get you captured, or even killed. Hastia Village is not a safe place for common folk, much less for royalty. But there is a way for you to experience how it is to be part of the people; an appearance spell."

Weiss was going to argue about how incredibly stupid all of that sounded, but something on her mind – perhaps her common sense sparking for once – told her that she should keep listening. "…Go on."

"Glynda prepared an incantation circle on her chamber already. We would change your appearance completely, making you unrecognizable. The Queen's face is all over the kingdom, so most people would immediately know who you were even with common clothes, Your Majesty, but if we change your face as well—"

"Stop." Weiss raised a hand, the universal gesture for _stop talking_. She gazed at Ozpin, right in the eyes, and he knew she was thinking about the whole idea, crazy as it sounded. "…So I would become someone else."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"I would go to the village in common folk clothes."

"That is correct."

"No one would recognize me as their queen, and I would be able to have conversations with normal people. Talk about problems, and whatnot."

"Precisely."

"And they would probably talk badly about the Queen right in front of me."

Ozpin gulped. "It is a possibility, yes. A very high possibility, actually."

Weiss turned back to the mirror, and stared. That face, her own features had haunted her for some time now. The face of a defeated queen was hard to pass by. But if she could begin anew, interact with people, maybe make a friend for once in her life – that was all she needed. The truth is, she needed to feel that she belonged. And in a huge castle with nothing but empty halls to make her company and sometimes her advisor, there was no way she could ever feel needed. This could change her life, and in time, she would change others' lives as well.

"I… I agree."

"Wonderful! Let us go downstairs, then—"

"On one condition." Weiss removed her earrings and expensive jewelry, placing it on the sink. "I go alone. The new me can't possibly have guards following me around all the time, it would make no sense."

"…This is extremely unadvisable, Your Majesty, I…" Ozpin stopped talking when he realized Weiss's expression was not one of defiance, but one of plead. She needed this for herself. "…Very well, Miss Schnee. Terms agreed."

"Thank you, Ozpin. Truly." Weiss coughed, embarrassed. "Now, let me see this circle of magic, I want to speak with Glynda about my new appearance.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean I can't choose how I'll look like?!"<p>

"No can do, Your Majesty." Glynda was struggling with the girl, trying to make her stand still at the center of the circle, but Weiss wouldn't stop prancing around. "Appearance spells are difficult to make, and I only know one. Don't worry though, it's not like you'll become ugly or anything."

"Fine, just… Finish this quickly." After hearing from Glynda at least thirteen times that the spell wouldn't hurt in the least and that she would be free to change back at any given moment if she hated her new appearance, Weiss was feeling exactly 0% calmer. She never understood how magic worked, and quite frankly was really afraid of it. But she trusted Glynda as much as Ozpin, so she sucked in all her fears.

"Alright, I will begin the spell now. Please stand still and try to refrain from getting away from the circle's center. This could make things harder." The witch closed her eyes and started chanting something in an ancient language, one she'd been studying for years now. Truth to be told, Glynda was excited with this spell – it was one she'd been wanting to do for a long time now; she just never had any test subjects. To be testing it in the Queen, however, was something she didn't expect.

Weiss's body started to heat up, but nothing unbearable – until the heating sensation reached her face. She could literally feel her features moving places. Her nose getting smaller, her eyes getting further apart, her cheeks swelling up, her eyebrows growing in size. The last thing she wanted was to look at the mirror and see a masculine face staring back, she quite liked her feminine lines. After a couple of minutes, the burning sensation died down, and Glynda opened her eyes. She couldn't suppress a smile.

"It worked!"

Weiss and Ozpin stared at her, eyebrows raised. Glynda cleared her throat. "I mean, of course it worked. I knew it would all along. Go ahead, check out the new you, Your Majesty."

Weiss turned her face to the nearest mirror and her mouth hung open. She was essentially not so different: Same blue eyes, thin lips, fair skin. But at the same time she was a completely new person. A little chubbier, her white hair now a darker gray, and her jawline changed completely. But the one thing the Queen noticed the most was the absence of the scar on her left eye. That ugly thing that reminded her everyday how imperfect she was compared to others of her family was finally gone. She felt… Good. She felt free.

"This is amazing. I loved it. I loved it, Glynda!"

"I'm glad I could help Your Majesty." The witch had to sit down for a moment, the spell had taken a toll on her body. "Now, for some instructions. The effect will wear off after 48 hours. I wish I could've made it 24, but I couldn't find the right recipe on the book. It will wear off little by little, so it's not like you'll suddenly turn back to your old self. First your eyes, then your nose, your mouth and so on."

Weiss tried to listen, but she was too busy admiring her new self. She never felt so light in her entire life. It was like a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders, a burden carried by the sole fact she had the face of the Queen. Not anymore, though. Now she was a completely different person.

"And that is basically it, Your Majesty. Any questons?"

"Huh? Oh, no, not at all. Your services were highly appreciated, Miss Goodwitch."

"Don't call her that, she hates it." Ozpin muttered from the corner of his mouth, making Glynda stare angrily. "Alright, should we go to Hastia Village, then, Miss Schnee?"

"Yes. Definitely. No more delays, I have people to take care of." And with a delicate little jump, Weiss left the chamber. Glynda and Ozpin heard the small giddy laugh the Queen let out, and couldn't help but to smile.

It's been a long time since they'd heard anything resembling laughter coming from their Queen.

* * *

><p><strong>And one more chapter completed! Next up, things get real interesting when the 'heroine' gets introduced. Hope you like it so far!<strong>

**- niigoki**


	3. Puppet Theater

The road that went from the castle to Hastia Village could be better taken care of, and Weiss realized she needed to hire someone to fix all the bumps in it as soon as she got back. The chariot that was transporting her and Ozpin was brand new, but still kept bouncing up and down every once in a while because of stones and wholes in it.

"Make a note, Ozpin, to fix this road as quick as possible." Weiss's voice came out funny because of the bouncing, and she crossed her arms. "This is unacceptable."

"Note taken, Your Majesty. Now, let's go through what we discussed again," He flipped his notes, anxiously. "The chariot will stop a few meters before the village's entrance, so you can enter by foot. We will leave as soon as possible to avoid anyone seeing us. In your basket there is enough food for a day, some money in case you wish to buy something, and instructions on how to approach the people with a few conversation topics that you can discuss to gather the most information about your ruling without giving away who you really are."

Weiss nodded, grabbing the list and checking everything written on it. _How do you feel about the Royal Festival? If you were Queen/King, what would you do to make this village a better place? I wonder if they sell apple pie around here._

"Apple pie?" Weiss looked up, confused.

"Yes. Talking about food is very important to maintain the casual tone of the conversation."

The Queen was going to argue, but she realized it was probably commoner courtesy. "Alright, go on."

"Once you enter the village, most people will stare at you confused. Hastia Village is very small, and chances are most people know who the familiar faces are. Strangers are normally noticed quickly, so you will have to make a first good impression." The advisor grabbed another notebook and flipped some pages. "I don't recall having complaints about violence in this specific village, but it's always important to keep an eye open. If you see anyone acting strange around you, I beg you turn away and go as far away from that person as possible, Your Majesty. Try to make a friend, you will be much safer walking around together with someone."

"A friend, huh…" Weiss looked down, trying to remember when was the last time she'd ever made a friend. She wasn't so surprised to realize there wasn't one. Her only friends were Ozpin and maybe Glynda. Her grandfather was also a good man, and they had fun together, but Weiss doubted playing chess while listening to a symphony was how commoners befriended one another. This would be tricky. "Sure. I can do that."

Ozpin noticed the hesitation in the Queen's voice and carefully put a hand on her shoulder, making Weiss look up. "You will do absolutely great. I know it, Miss Schnee."

He could've sworn there was a trace of a smile after those words, but she soon shrugged his hand off. "Of course I will. I am destined for greatness, Ozpin, don't forget it."

"We'll be arriving at Hastia Village in five minutes, Your Majesty." The coachman yelled from the front of the chariot, and Weiss's heart skipped a beat.

"Thank you, Cardin." Answered Ozpin, putting away his notes. "We are almost there. I will ask you once more, are you sure you don't want me keeping an eye on you out there, Miss Schnee?"

Weiss grabbed her basket. "Positive. You said so yourself, strangers are easily recognized. I need to do this on my own."

"Fair enough. Remember your story?"

Weiss closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "My name is Winter, I've been traveling for some time now and ended up in this village. Since I noticed today is the Royal Festival, I decided to stay and enjoy the food and games, but I will be on my way by sunset."

"Good. Just go with the conversations and remember, if anyone mentions bad things about the Queen and the Schnee family, keep you calm. You are to agree with them and then try to understand such discontent."

"I know my rules, Ozpin, stop fretting."

"I understand that you do Your Majesty, but your pride might want to speak louder. Just remember you are a new person. Winter is not Weiss."

_Winter is not Weiss. _The Queen kept this motto on repeat on her head. She was to become another person, this Winter character, and she didn't quite know what to make of her yet. Was she going to be timid? Loud? Knowledgeable? Stupid? No, definitely not stupid. Weiss refused to pass as an idiot for amusement. Winter was going to be a commoner, but an intellectual and proud one. …Alright, maybe not so proud.

The chariot finally stopped on its tracks, at an isolated part of the woods. The coachman got down and checked around for bandits or any type of danger, and after making sure everything was in order, opened de chariot's door. "Right this way, Your Majesty. Watch your step."

Weiss stepped out and allowed herself to take a deep breath. The clean air of the woods was really refreshing, she realized. A bit cold, maybe, but the castle's huge empty rooms were even colder, so she wasn't bothered in the least. Her clothes were prepared for any type of weather as well, with a coat made of sheep wool that could easily be removed if it got warmer, to reveal a brown dress and boots; nothing fancy in the least, but very comfortable. Weiss pulled her basket closer to her body, and exhaled.

"Alright. I'm ready."

Ozpin stood beside her and nodded. "Well, then. Meet us back here at sunset. We will be waiting for you, Miss Schnee."

For some reason Ozpin's tone calmed her down and a warm feeling came over her. Hearing someone saying they would be waiting for her return was new, and a very good feeling. Before she could stop herself, Weiss turned around and hugged the advisor very quickly and awkwardly. Ozpin was taken completely by surprise, but didn't exactly have the time to return the hug.

"For luck." Weiss mumbled, before turning her backs on the chariot and marching for the village in quick steps.

Ozpin smiled. "Good luck, Miss Schnee."

* * *

><p>There were a few things Weiss was imagining were going to happen once she got to the village. One of them was a crowd of people staring directly at her with confused looks as soon as she set foot on the entrance, and she was already prepared to deal with that; being the Queen and all, she was accustomed with being the center of attention. Another thing she was picturing was seeing her face everywhere because of the Royal Festival. Embroideries, plates, vases, even candies decorated with Weiss Schnee's elegant expressions, followed by people celebrating this joyful holiday in her honor.<p>

Neither of these things happened.

Hastia Village was in a celebrating mood, that was true. Holidays were always welcomed anywhere in the world – spending working days with the family was always reason for smiles. Maybe that was also the motive nobody bothered approaching Weiss even for a second; they were too busy playing games at the fair and singing funny songs to notice a random stranger infiltrating the place. Men and women drank while speaking loudly, children ran around tables playing tag, and sellers tried to make the most profit they could manage selling Royal Festival goods, such as…

"Buy your Ice Queen, Cold-Hearted Tyrant, and Spoiled Little Girl t-shirts, now with discount!" A man yelled from his stand, waving in the air blue shirts with Weiss's face drawn poorly in cartoon shape. At his side another man called for people, his stand full of plates with the Queen's different expressions and some rocks that could get thrown at them. The one who broke more plates in the fastest time got a prize. That wasn't all; Weiss noticed that every single game in the fair was somehow related to destroying her image – burning the castle with matches, punching bags with her relatives painted on them, shooting arrows at a life-sized Weiss doll. And the people were having so much fun doing all those horrible things; Weiss couldn't stop her mouth from hanging open.

At the far back of the fair, where most people were gathered, a puppet theater was about to begin. Children were sitting in the front row and the adults stood up, waiting in the back for the show to start while drinking and chatting. Weiss was already horrified by all of that, but she felt like she needed to see what the skit was going to be about.

"Laaaaaadies and gentlemeeeeen!" The narrator suddenly showed up, a man in his thirties, who stood out in the middle of the circle formed by the crowd and spoke through a megaphone. "Boooooooys and giiiirls! Please step right in, the show's about to begin! Let us venture safely in this village, a place safe from violence and pillage! But are we safe from royal eyes, and the guards that'd bring us to our demise? Ruthless tyrants, that's what they are! Thank the gods we are very far. Far away, the size of a bean, so we can't be seen by the evil Ice Queen."

The man bowed and the public went wild, applauding furiously. Weiss had a terrible feeling about watching the show, and it got worse when she realized there was a member of the theater's crew handing over tomatoes to the people. She knew where this was going.

The curtains rose. A white puppet wearing a dress and a crown seemed angry, and yelled at two other puppets, wearing normal clothes.

"This is absurd! How dare you not bow to me in my royal presence. Do you even know how long it took for me to be this powerful and important? Absolutely zero years! I was born into power and I demand to be treated like the perfect ruler I am! Guards! Execute these two insolents!"

Two more puppets appeared, holding swords, and seemed to slay the normal puppets. The white doll started to laugh maniacally, and the public booed and threw tomatoes at it. The white puppet dodged most of them, but one hit her, staining her red.

"Kill the evil Ice Queen!" A woman yelled.

"Paint this kingdom red!" Another man shouted. Even the children were saying violent things and throwing stuff at the puppet Queen. The narrator showed up once again, and Weiss was confident he would tell the people to cease with that wild and ridiculous behavior. That wasn't the case, however.

"With the execution of two brave men, the kingdom started to rise again! Riots and destruction, that's what we wanted, but that was all fiction, and we'd just be haunted. The royal guards, supposed to protect us, would pick up shards, and throw them at us. When everything was grim and the people lost hope… When children were slim and some on the rope… That's when she arrived, in a crimson hood! Our savior, our heroine, the Good from the woods." He bowed once again, and the curtains rose, showing the puppet of a girl in a red hood. The people started to applaud and cheer louder than before.

Weiss was simply confused now. "Heroine…?"

"The reign of terror of the evil Ice Queen stops today!" The puppet yelled, holding a scythe. "I cannot allow more innocent people to be murdered in spite of her pride and vanity! People are living in poverty because of such an irresponsible tyrant! I will make my life's mission to help them however I can, and when I gather enough volunteers for my army of justice, we will finally take down the Queen! And I shall rule in her place, with honesty, bravery and love for this kingdom!"

Once again the crowd started to clap and say words of encouragement to the red puppet such as 'Long live Red!' and 'Queen Red, my heart is yours!'. Weiss could not believe what she was watching. Who was this Red girl? How come she never heard of someone who was gathering an army to try to dethrone her? She would have a serious conversation with Ozpin when she got back, and the first thing she would was to send her guards to every nook and cranny of the kingdom to arrest this rioter.

At the theater, Red and some villagers were infiltrating the castle stealthily. They climbed some imaginary stairs to get to the royal chamber and apparently kill the Queen in her sleep. Weiss clenched her teeth, nervous. When the assassin group arrived, Red brought her scythe up, and the public bent forward, anxious for the result.

"Soon, it will be done!" She whisper-yelled. "No more suffering for the population of Atlas. After tonight, we will be free of tyranny and injustice, and I'll be able to take care of this kingdom like it deserves to be taken care of. Goodbye, evil witch!" Red brought down her hand, slashing the white puppet's head off.

The crowd went wild. The children got up and jumped around, the men and women clinked their cups together and music started to play.

Weiss could not hold back anymore.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Her scream was so loud that the musicians stopped playing. For the first time, people started to acknowledge her and soon enough she was the center of attention.

"Excuse me, little girl?" A bearded man asked, probably drunk from his red cheeks. In any other situation Weiss would remember Ozpin's advice and stay quiet, but she simply could not control herself at this point.

"The Queen has done absolutely _everything _she could to make this kingdom prosper and _this_ is how you repay her?! With humiliation and savagery? What is wrong with you people, do you even know the things she's been through to keep it together? To… To not ruin everything the Schnee family has built in all of these years? You should be ashamed of yourselves!"

The silence was crushing; not even a single bird dared to break the moment. When Weiss stopped to breathe and calmed down, she realized what she'd done. One by one, the people started to mumble, the mumbles rising in volume, and soon confused voices turned into angry complaints.

"Just who do you think you are, stranger?"

"I've never seen this girl around these parts."

"Did I hear that right? She claims the Queen is a good person?"

"She must work for the Ice Queen! Off with her head!"

This last part made Weiss realize she needed to run. And she tried, she really did, but when you are the center of attention amongst drunk blacksmiths and lumberjacks, chances are you'll just have your arm twisted in a very uncomfortable position and dragged to the center of the execution grounds.

"She dishonors this festival by bringing the name of the Queen in a positive way!" The drunk bearded man yelled to the crowd, while throwing Weiss on the ground like a sack of potatoes. She scrapped her knees and hands, and her basket was already nowhere to be found, but there was no time to regret that; she knew the trouble she was in at the moment she felt something cold close around her neck and couldn't get out of her kneeling position.

The Queen was about to be executed on her first visit to a village.

"Bring on the axe! There is no place in this kingdom for someone who believes in tyranny and oppression!"

Weiss's heart was beating like crazy and she felt like throwing up. This could not be happening, not right now, not on the Royal Festival. Who would be her heir? Who would take on the throne? She didn't even have the time to make a document specifying who would get her things once she was dead. The Queen almost laughed for a minute. There she was, about to lose her life, and the only thing she could think of was bureaucratic stuff.

She heard the metallic sound of the axe dragging on the floor, but could not see it. In seconds she'd lose her head. This was not how she planned her trip at all.

_I'm such an idiot. I don't deserve the Schnee name. Well, I had a good run. _Weiss closed her eyes, realizing she was crying. _Who am I kidding, I didn't even make a friend in this pathetic excuse for a life. Goodbye Ozpin, I'm sorry for everything._

Suddenly there was a huge wind, followed by a grunt of pain, and the bump of a body falling on the ground. Weiss opened her eyes as she felt the metal bar being lifted from her neck and quickly got up, trying to make sense of what had happened.

"We do _not_ execute people, guys. We talk to them first, geez." It was the voice of a girl, and Weiss turned around to see who the source of it was. The red hood and huge scythe didn't exactly make it hard to decipher the mystery.

"Is… Is that her?"

"It can't be… Why would she save the traitor?"

"The crimson heroine… Red, the traveler! She's here!"

Suddenly the anger went away, replaced by cheerful welcomes from the villagers. Red put away her scythe, folding it like magic and scratched her head, embarrassed. Weiss just stood there, unsure on what to think or feel about this girl. On one hand, she'd just saved her life. On the other, she wanted to build an army to kill her. Weiss wondered if the spell wasn't still in effect how Red would react to this irony.

"Hey, you okay?" The traveler asked her, touching her shoulder. Weiss jumped away instinctively. "I'm sorry! I didn't want to scare you. You're safe now."

"Safe? These people hate me and want to kill me! You included!" Still caught up on the moment, Weiss forgot she was undercover, and pointed a finger at Red.

"N-no, I don't! I don't want to kill anyone, I swear! And these people are just acting weird because of the festival. Trust me, they don't hate you. Tomorrow we'll all get up in the morning and laugh about all this, huh, what do you say?"

Weiss was about to give a smart answer, but she felt weak on her knees all of a sudden. Maybe almost being killed and then being saved by another person who planned to murder her didn't do well for a first-travel experience. She collapsed on the floor, and everything went black.

"Oi! Friend? Oh no, hang in there!"

Before losing all contact with the outside world, Weiss felt herself being lifted up and carried away from the noise and smell of the festival.

She'd also heard the word _friend_ coming from someone's mouth.

* * *

><p><strong>And there we go, another chapter. Now the characters can start being introduced!<strong>

**On another note I'll be traveling this week, so I'm not sure when I'll be posting another chapter, but hopefully you guys stick with me! Thank you for reading and following 3**

**- niigoki**


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